Bass-key mechanism for accordions



May 12, 1925. 1,537,185

.1. PALMER BASS KEY MECHANISM'FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Sept. 22, 1922 sSheets-Sheet 1 IJWEN TOR :Emea Pa [mar May 12, 192s.- 1,537,185

J. PALMER BASS KEY MECHANISM FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Sept. 22, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENT 0B fiMeJfiZmei W Br j Emmrozznzar JWTIE'ISSEIS J.PALMER BASS KEY MECHANISM FOR ACCORDIONS May 12, 1925. 1,537,185

Filed Sept. 22, 1922 s sneets sneet 5 INYENTOR WITNEAMEJ' Jmes Elmer W 1H103 A TI'OBNBT til UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES PALMER, O'F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BASS-KEY MECHANISM FOR. ACCORDIONS.

Application September 22, 1922.

To all AU/710721 '52? may concern:

Be it known that l zen of the United States, delphia, 1n the county ofState of Pennsylvania,

tain new the following is a sp JAMES PALMER, a citircsiding at Phila-Philadelphla and have invented cerand useful Improvements in Bass- ,KeyMechanism for Accordions, of which ecilication.

lily invention relates to piano accordion and more particularly nismtherefor.

to bass key mecha- The object of the invention is to provide an improvedbass key mechanism and mounting therefor, which will permit the removalof the keys or buttons individually or simultaneously whereby tofacilitate the assemblage,

dissemblage replacements or repairs of the parts; to permit adjustmentof the mounting for the working parts to fit casing sections ofdifferent sized instruments; to improve the mounting and connection ofthe valves and means for holding the valves closed, enhance and facllitadevices to which the and to generally improve,

/ simplify, te the manufacture of invention appertains.

This object, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a casingsection and bass hey mechanism of a piano accordion, in accordance withthe invention,

Figure 2 is a trai isverse sectional eleva lion taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 Figure '-l is a fragmentary detail is a transverse sectionalview taken on the line 3- l of Figure 1,

perspective view of a portion of the mountii'ig for the bass keymechanism,

Figure is a deta il sectional view take on the line 5 5 of F1 ure 1,

Figure Gis a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing a set of valves and theirmountin and Figure 8 is a transverse section of one of the valves takenon tl Referring to the usual bellows of an (lasing 2 1e line 8-8 ofFigure 3.

such as aluminum, and has a partition 8 integral therewith and holes 4preferably arranged double rows. Casing provided with rows of in singleand 2 1s also prm'ided with Serial No. 589,896.

a flange 5 to which bellows 1 is connected. Reed holders 6 are securedto partition 3 over holes 1- and are provided with walls 7 forming airpockets which communicate with holes 4. Reeds 8 are mounted over thepockets in the usual way.

The edge of casing 2 is provided with a shoulder 9 to receive anornamental cover plate, not shown, which is preferably of fret work, topermit the emission of sound. The front corners 10 of the casing arespaced and provided with sloping inner faces 11 so that a key plate 12may be disposed in the space between the corners and engage the slopingfaces 11 as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Keys 13, preferably cast ofaluminum are movable through plate 12.

The mounting for the bass key mechanism includes a support composed oflongitudinal bars 14 and 15 connecting a pair of brackets 16 at theirends. Each bracket is provided with pads 17 removably secured topartition 3, an adjustable extension 22 having an inclined strip 18 towhich key plate 12 is detachably secured and a rail 19 having recesses20 in its inner face. The rail 19 on one of the brackets is providedwith a removable section 21 to allow the parts fitting in the recess tobe removed. The adjustable extension 22 is channeled to slide on rail19. A slot 23 is formed in the channeled part of extension 22 forreceiving fastening screws 24 whereby the extensions may be djustedlengthwise to fit different sized accordions, and collapsed. so as to bereadily removed; An angular lunce connects ach adjustable extension 22with the ends of bar let to make them a unitary structure. An upright 26is provided at the end of each rail 19 and a slightly larger upright 27between the ends thereof, the upper end of each upright being slotted.An upright strip 28 is provided on removable section 21 to facilitateits removal and application and is secured to upright 27 by a screw 29.EX- tension 22 is recessed at 30 to provide clearance for section 21when removing the same as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

The bass key mechanism includes plunger bars 31 and 82, disposed in theslotted ends of uprights 26 and 27 and grooved to slidably receiveplungers 33 which have the keys 13 cast on their ends. Strips 31 and 32re secured to bars 31 and 32 over their grooves to prevent plungerstherein from lOS accidentally getting out of the-grooves during theirsliding movement; Pivot bars 34-, made of metallic tubes, are mounted-inrecesses 20. A center support isattached to bar 15 and surrounds'thepivotbai's 34:, as indicated at 36, to ,hold'sthem in tion inconjunction with recesses 20. Pivot bars 3 have arms 37" extendingtoward plungers. 33 and en 'aging pins 38 on the plungers. Pivot bars 34are also provided with inclined arms 39 having bent ends ex tendingValves and 40, cast of aluminum, are

disposedover'holes a and are supported on valve arms 41 and 41 made ofbent wire and pivoted to bar 14 by means of screws as shown at 43. Armsland 41 are each bent and secured 7 screws as, then extended outward atright .angles'to the valves as-indicated at 4:5, and

then in the direction of the length of the valves, as indicated at 46,and over the bent" ends of inclined arms Springs, having arms and 48,are fixed to barltand exertpressurc onvvalves 40 and ll) by enga ingwith parts 429 fixed to the valves to hold them closed.

7 Upon pressing abass key 13, in the usual wayfof playing apiano-accordion,plungers 33 will --be moved inward, arms 37 swung ontheir pivot bars 3 L and arms 39 swung against parts 4-6 of arms &1, and4:1, to raise and open valves wand 40 ,againstthe action of spring armsat and 48.

Upon releasing'the pressed key, spring arms el'and 4E8 will move thevalves -and their associated partsinto their-closed position again. V r

To remove; the bass key mechanism,

screws 24 are loosened and extension 22,

having key 'plate 1'2 thereon, slid towardthe brackets. Thismovementbrings plate 12 away from faces 11 and collapses the brackets into asmaller unit'so that it may be readily removed from. the casing. The

fasteningnieans of pad 17 are then removed and theentire bass keymechanism, including' the? valves operated thereby, arethen removedthrough the open end of the casing.

To remove the pivot bars 34, screw-29 is removed and section ElliftedfiS Sl10W11-lIl Figure 5 to allow one end ofeach; pivot 34:

.to be removed from recesses 20,

To remove a plunger,;strips 31; and 32' are removed fromglOOVGClbZHS311L11d-32 and the plungers within the grooves then Iremoved.

Ar bass keyinechanism constructed as above set forth facilitates theassemblage of the parts and jdisassemblage for'repairs,

, is adjustable to fit different sizedaficcordions, and will notwarp,'deteriorate -or become loosetjointed so as to effect the play-'ing ofthe instrument. V V

V hile I have described. my invention as" aositoward the front of'casing 2;

to valves 40 and 40 by" controlling on the .taking a particular form; itwill be undergstood that thevarious-parts of my inven- Y tion may bechanged without departing limit myself to the precise construction setforth, but consider thatl am at liberty to make such changes andalterations as fairly come within the" scope of the appended claims. Y Ip r 7. Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is V V V 1 Inan accordion, .a bass casing havinga V partition; sound making meansmounted on the partition; asupport removably mount-i ed on thepartition; a key plate secured to the support, and bass key mechanismfor controlling the sound making means mounteClOH the support and havingits keys pass ing through the plate whereby the support mechanism as aunit. v 2. In an accordion; a bass casinghaving a partition; soundmaking means'inounted on the Y partition; a' support removably vmountedon the partition, and provided with adjustable eXtensions;1a key plate.secured to the extensions, and bass key mechanism, for controlling thesound making means, mounted onthe support and having its keys passingthrough the plate, whereby from the-spirit thereof,and hence I do not,

' and key-plate may be removed with the bass the support andfkeyplate'may be collapsed i and removed with the bass mechanism as a unit.

3. In an accordion, a bass casinghavi'ng a partition and sloping facesadjacent its front side; sound makingJ-means mounted on the partition; asupport removably mounted on the partition and provided with adjustableextensions; a key plate secured to'the extens ons and engag ngthe-sloping faces and bass ke mechanism for controlling the sound makingmeans mounted-on the support and having its keys-passing through theplate, \vhereby the support and key plate may" be collapsed to clear thesloping faces and removed withthe bass whereby the bracketsbars and basskey mechanism may beremoved as a unit.

5:111 an accordion, a bass casing having a partition sound making meansmounted partition; brackets removably casin g havin g removably mountedon the partition; bars connecting the brackets to form a unitarystructure; valvesffor controlling the sound making means p voted ononeof thebars, and bass key iuehanism, for controlling the valves, mountedon the brackets, whereby the lnacketm'bars, valves and bass keymechanism may be removed as a unit.

(5. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound makingmeans mounted on the partition; brackets mounted on the partition; barsconnecting the brackets to form a unitary structure; valves pivoted onthe bars for controlling the sound making means; springs mounted on thebars for keeping the valves in their closed position, and bass keymechanism, for controlling the valves, mounted on the brackets, wherebythe brackets, bars, valves, springs and bass :ey mechanism may beremoved as a unit.

a. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound making meansmounted on the partition; brackets removably mounted on hie partition,each bracket being provided with uprights; means connecting the bracketsto form a unitary structure; plunger bars mounted on the uprights;plungers slidable in the bars; keys on the plungers,; a key platemounted on the brac rets for s'lidably supporting the keys, and meansfor controlling the sound making means mounted on the brackets andoperatively connected to the plungers, whereby the brackets and theabove named parts connected therewith may be removed as a unit.

8. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound making meansmounted on the partition; brackets removably mounted on the partition,each bracket beprovided with recesses and uprights; means connecting thebrackets to form a unitary structure; plungerbars mounted on theuprights; plungers slid-able in the bars; keys on the plungers; a keyplate mounted on the brackets for slidably supporting the keys; pivotbars mounted in the recesses; arms on the pivot bars operatively connected with the plungers; inclined arms on the pivot bars having bent ends;valves for controlling the sound making means, and means oymrativelyconnecting the inclined arms with the valveswhereby the brackets and theabove named parts connected therewith may be removed from the casing asa unit.

9. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound making meansmounted on the partition; brackets removably mounted on the partition;an extension, having an inclined strip, slidable on each bracket; a

key plate secured to the inclined strip, and bass key mechanism forcontrolling a sound making means mounted on the brackets and key plate,whereby the brackets and above named parts connected therewith may beremoved as a unit.

10. In an accordion, a. bass asing having a partition; sound makingmeans mounted on the partition; a support removably mounted on thepartition and having uprights; bars mounted on the uprights; plungersslidable in the bars; keys on the plungers; a key plate mounted on thesup port for slidably supporting the keys; valves for controlling thesound making means, and means on the support operative ly connecting thevalves with the plungers, whereby the support and the above named partsconnected therewith may be removed as a unit.

11. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound makingmeans mounted on the partition; a support removably mounted on thepartition and having uprights, the upper ends of the uprights beingslotted; grooved bars mounted in the slots of the uprights; plungersslidable in the grooves of the bars; keys on the plungers; a key platemounted on the support for slidably supporting he keys; valves forcontrolling the sound making means, and means on the support operativelyconnecting the valves with the plungers, whereby the support and theabove named parts connected therewith may be removed as a unit.

12. In an accordion, a bass casing having a partition; sound makingmeans mounted on the partition; a support removably mounted on thepartition and having uprights; bars mounted on the uprights;

plungers slidable in the bars; keys on the plungers; a plate mounted onthe support for slidably supporting the keys; pivot bars mounted on thesupport; arms on the pivot bars operatively connected with the plungers;inclined arms on the pivot bars having bent ends; valves pivoted on thesupport for controlling the sound making means, and valve arms on thevalves extending over the bent ends of the inclined arms, whereby thesupport and the above named parts connected therewith may be removedfrom the casing as a unit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES PALMER.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH GARBE, CHAs. E. POTTS.

